Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

16 The (A)plans of the heart belong to a person,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight,
But the (B)Lord examines the [a]motives.
[b](C)Commit your works to the Lord,
And your plans will be established.
The Lord (D)has made everything for [c]its own purpose,
Even the (E)wicked for the day of evil.
Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
[d]Be assured, he will not go unpunished.
By (F)mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing,
And by [e]the (G)fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
He (H)causes even his enemies to make peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
The mind of a (I)person plans his way,
But (J)the Lord directs his steps.
10 A divine (K)verdict is on the lips of the king;
His mouth should not [f]err in judgment.
11 A (L)just balance and scales belong to the Lord;
All the [g]weights of the bag are His [h]concern.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
Because a (M)throne is established on righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And one who speaks right is loved.
14 The fury of a king is like messengers of death;
But a wise person will appease it.
15 In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the [i](N)spring rain.
16 How much (O)better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
17 The (P)highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
One who watches his way protects his [j]life.
18 (Q)Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
19 It is better to be (R)humble in spirit with the needy
Than to (S)divide the spoils with the proud.
20 One who pays attention to the word will (T)find good,
And (U)blessed is one who trusts in the Lord.
21 The (V)wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of [k]speech (W)increases [l]persuasiveness.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
But the discipline of fools is foolishness.
23 The (X)heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds [m]persuasiveness to his lips.
24 (Y)Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and (Z)healing to the bones.
25 (AA)There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his [n]hunger urges him on.
27 A (AB)worthless person digs up evil,
While [o]his words are like (AC)scorching fire.
28 A perverse person spreads strife,
And a [p]slanderer separates close friends.
29 A person of violence (AD)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 A (AE)gray head is a crown of glory;
It (AF)is found in the way of righteousness.
32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.
33 The (AG)lot is cast into the lap,
But its every (AH)decision is from the Lord.

Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

17 (AI)Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of [q]feasting with strife.
A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
The (AJ)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But (AK)the Lord tests hearts.
An (AL)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A [r]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
One who mocks the (AM)poor taunts his Maker;
One who (AN)rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
(AO)Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the (AP)glory of sons is their fathers.
[s](AQ)Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are (AR)lying lips to a prince.
A (AS)bribe is a [t]charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
One who (AT)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter (AU)separates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a (AV)person meet a (AW)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
13 One who (AX)returns evil for good,
(AY)Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So (AZ)abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 One who (BA)justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to (BB)buy wisdom,
When [u]he has no sense?
17 A (BC)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A person lacking in [v]sense (BD)shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 One who (BE)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (BF)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [w]mind (BG)finds nothing good,
And one who is [x](BH)corrupted in his language falls into evil.
21 He who (BI)fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A (BJ)joyful heart [y]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit (BK)dries up the bones.
23 A wicked person accepts a (BL)bribe [z]from an inside pocket
To (BM)pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (BN)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A (BO)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And (BP)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is also not good to (BQ)fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 One who (BR)withholds his words [aa]has knowledge,
And one who has a (BS)cool spirit is a person of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he (BT)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He [ab](BU)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
A fool does not delight in understanding,
But (BV)in revealing his own [ac]mind.
When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
And with dishonor comes taunting.
The words of a person’s mouth are (BW)deep waters;
[ad]The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
To (BX)show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to (BY)suppress the righteous in judgment.
A fool’s lips [ae]bring strife,
And his mouth invites (BZ)beatings.
A (CA)fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [af]innermost parts of the body.
He also who is (CB)lax in his work
(CC)Is a brother to him who destroys.
10 The (CD)name of the Lord is a (CE)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and (CF)is [ag]safe.
11 A (CG)rich person’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
12 (CH)Before destruction the heart of a person is haughty,
But (CI)humility goes before honor.
13 One who (CJ)gives an answer before he hears,
It is foolishness and shame to him.
14 The (CK)spirit of a person can endure his sickness,
But as for a (CL)broken spirit, who can endure it?
15 The [ah](CM)mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
And the (CN)ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A person’s (CO)gift makes room for him
And brings him before great people.
17 The first [ai]to plead his case seems right,
Until [aj]another comes and examines him.
18 The cast (CP)lot puts an end to quarrels,
And [ak]decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel.
20 With the [al](CQ)fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
(CR)He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
21 (CS)Death and life are in the [am]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its (CT)fruit.
22 He who finds a (CU)wife finds a good thing
And (CV)obtains favor from the Lord.
23 A (CW)poor person utters pleadings,
But a (CX)rich person (CY)answers defiantly.
24 A person of too many friends comes to [an]ruin,
But there is (CZ)a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:2 Lit spirits
  2. Proverbs 16:3 Lit Roll
  3. Proverbs 16:4 Or His
  4. Proverbs 16:5 Lit Hand to hand, he
  5. Proverbs 16:6 Or reverence for
  6. Proverbs 16:10 Lit be unfaithful
  7. Proverbs 16:11 Lit stones
  8. Proverbs 16:11 Lit work
  9. Proverbs 16:15 Lit latter
  10. Proverbs 16:17 Lit soul
  11. Proverbs 16:21 Lit lips
  12. Proverbs 16:21 Or learning
  13. Proverbs 16:23 Or learning
  14. Proverbs 16:26 Lit mouth
  15. Proverbs 16:27 Lit on his lips
  16. Proverbs 16:28 Or gossip
  17. Proverbs 17:1 Lit sacrifices of strife
  18. Proverbs 17:4 Lit falsehood
  19. Proverbs 17:7 Lit A lip of abundance
  20. Proverbs 17:8 Lit stone of favor
  21. Proverbs 17:16 Lit there is no heart
  22. Proverbs 17:18 Lit heart
  23. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  24. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue
  25. Proverbs 17:22 Lit causes good healing
  26. Proverbs 17:23 Lit a fold in a robe; i.e., secretly
  27. Proverbs 17:27 Lit knows
  28. Proverbs 18:1 Lit breaks out
  29. Proverbs 18:2 Lit heart
  30. Proverbs 18:4 Or A bubbling brook, a fountain of wisdom
  31. Proverbs 18:6 Lit come with
  32. Proverbs 18:8 Lit chambers of the belly
  33. Proverbs 18:10 Lit set on high
  34. Proverbs 18:15 Lit heart
  35. Proverbs 18:17 Lit in his plea
  36. Proverbs 18:17 Lit his neighbor
  37. Proverbs 18:18 Lit makes a division
  38. Proverbs 18:20 I.e., speech
  39. Proverbs 18:21 Lit hand
  40. Proverbs 18:24 Lit be broken in pieces

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